Any activity that increases your heart rate will burn extra calories. But not all exercises are created equal. While Zumba and jogging will both burn more calories than sitting on the couch, one edges the other out as the better calorie burner. Make the most of your time by choosing a workout that maximizes your calorie burn.

Zumba Average Calories

In a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse examined the effectiveness of Zumba as a cardiovascular workout. The study found that a typical Zumba class burns 369 calories on average. This works out to an average of 9.5 calories per minute.

Individual Zumba Results

Your individual calorie burn will depend on your weight; the more you weigh, the more calories you will burn. Zumba has an average metabolic equivalent task of 8.8 -- meaning that during Zumba you use 8.8 times the energy you use at rest. For a 150-pound person this works out to burning 10 calories per minute. For a 200-pound individual this amounts to a burn of 13.3 calories per minute.

Jogging Calories Burned

Slow jogging -- at a pace of 13 or 14 minutes per mile -- has a metabolic equivalent task of 6. At this pace a 150-pound person burns just 6.8 calories per minute and a 200-pound individual burns 9.1 calories per minute. Jogging faster -- at a pace of 12 minutes per mile -- has a metabolic equivalent task of 8; still slightly less than Zumba. A 150 pound person burns 9.1 calories per minute at this speed while a 200 pound person burns 12.1 calories per minute.

Why Zumba Burns More

According to Mary Luettgen, M.S., the lead researcher for the ACE commissioned study, the heart rate of Zumba participants tends to go up and down throughout the workout in a manner similar to interval training. Luettgen explains that, "because of that, with Zumba you burn a lot of extra calories compared to a steady-state exercise like jogging."